


Paper Planes

by Nuit



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Break Up, F/M, M/M, Modern AU, Randomness, idk what this is, obikin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-11
Updated: 2016-02-11
Packaged: 2018-05-19 18:14:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5976484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nuit/pseuds/Nuit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anakin Skywalker's life just couldn't get any better. He lived in a beautiful apartment with an amazing view of the city, had a great job at a very successful law firm and was in love with the most wonderful woman in the world.<br/>Yet, as he was about to propose, everything seemed to fall apart right before his eyes.<br/>Alone and hopeless, there is only one person Anakin can turn to...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paper Planes

_For everything you gain, you lose something else._

The young man let out a sigh as he stared at the phone’s screen. It wasn’t like he expected much at that point, the scene kept repeating itself over and over, and Anakin was beginning to question why he even tried anymore. Oh, but he did try, he tried so hard, because every time Padme promised she would be home by dinner, he would get excited and put a lot of effort into making something she would like. Yet each time he found himself in the same position: alone, starring at the dinner table after reading another one of the usual text messages in which Padme excused herself for not being able to be there.

It wasn’t like he blamed her, Anakin had known how important her career was to Padme ever since he met her back in college. But they had been dating for over five years now, so by this point a part of him really wished to be considered at least as important to her…or more. Another sigh escaped him as he finished putting the food in the fridge, suddenly he didn’t feel hungry anymore, just walking towards the bedroom, their yellow lab following closely behind him. 

It was almost like the dog could feel his distress, softly whining as he laid on the bed next to the young man. Anakin’s mind was focused on something else, the small velvet box that had laid hidden for months at the bottom of his nightstand’s drawer, he had hoped maybe tonight it could finally be brought out, but clear that wasn’t going to be the case. 

“Don’t worry, Tripio. It will be okay” he told the dog while softly petting it, though it seemed more like he was trying to reassure himself of such words. 

___

At first he pretended not to hear it, work had been particularly rough that day and a good night sleep was of the essence. But as hard as he had tried, the man found himself sluggishly searching for his bathrobe and putting it on without even bothering to fix his unusually messy hair. 

It wasn’t a big apartment, however, for a while now, he had considered it to be too much space for someone who lived alone and barely spent any time there. “Damn it, Artoo. Its 3AM, what do you want?” he asked while entering the living room, as if the small cat could give him an answer to this question. Its blue eyes just fixed on the man before him, yodeling one last time before stopping completely. 

The man sighed in relief and was about to return to the room when he heard a completely different noise, one far more recognizable than the cat’s loud yodeling, and which clearly came from directly outside the front door. Another sigh escaped him, this time filled with pure exasperation. Great, just when he had thought his life could get any worse…this was exactly what he needed on that particular night to make it so. It was almost as if the whole universe was against him.

So, when he open there door there was no surprise in his face as he saw the young man who had once been his roommate sitting next to it, hands clasped firmly around his knees, sobbing as quietly as he could (which honestly wasn’t quiet at all) while he stared at the wall in front of them. And, even though worried, the older man didn’t think much of it, for he had grown quite used to seeing his friend like this, even if they no longer talked or spent time together outside of work…Anakin would always show up when something went wrong.

“Ani?” He whispered softly, as if not to disturb he who sometimes seemed like nothing more than a mere boy, though the honest truth was that the man was far more concerned about the neighbors possibly waking up with all that noise. A fact that quickly changed as his old friend turned to stare at him, tears running down his face, bloodshot eyes, and yet an expression devoid of emotion. An expression the older man had only seen once before, and one he had hoped never to be a witness of again.

“Obi-Wan…” Anakin finally whispered in return, as if for a short moment he had forgotten who the man was, where he was or why he was there in the first place. Truth be told, Anakin had quietly sobbed outside the door for hours, hesitating as to if he should knock. It had seemed like an unfair thing to do considering how tainted their relationship had been in the last few years. And yet, he had nowhere else to go, no one else he could truly trust but Obi-Wan himself. 

“Anakin, come inside” it wasn’t a suggestion, nor was it an order; it was, after all, simply what Anakin had gone all that way for. 

Now, usually when Anakin showed up at his doorstop looking troubled and weeping, Obi-Wan would just let him rant away his problems, until Padme eventually called asking Anakin to go back home. This time, he had a terrible feeling that the call would probably not happen. So, once inside, he couldn’t help but stare as his friend walked straight towards the couch, disregarding everything else around him. 

Obi-Wan had no idea where Artoo had gone but he presumed the cat was hiding elsewhere. It had stopped being fond of Anakin ever since the young man had moved in with Padme, forced to leave the cat behind because of his girlfriend’s presumed allergies. Obi-Wan had never been a cat person, but even if sometimes he wanted to, he just found himself unable to just kick the creature out of the apartment. 

“Do you want some coffee?” He wasn’t expecting a reply, nor did he receive one, so the man simply headed into the kitchen. Whatever happened between Anakin and Padme seemed serious, and if he was going to have to deal with it, he definitely needed some coffee. The possibilities frightened him, never had he enjoyed seeing Anakin hurt, yet he had grown used to it during the last few years, which was the clear reason for his opposition to the relationship with Padme since the very beginning. Though Obi-Wan had never said anything, in the knowledge that Anakin was too blinded by his feelings for Padme in order to listen to his advice, and that doing such thing would probably only jeopardize their friendship. Instead, he stepped away, slowly letting distance grow between them, but even then he never found in himself the strength or the will to cut Anakin completely out of his life. 

Not a word was said until Obi-Wan finally set the mugs on the coffee table, sitting on the couch. Anakin didn’t even attempt to look at him, stare fixed on the mug before him, tears still running uninterruptedly down his face. “She left” was all he said in an almost inaudible whisper.

For a moment, Obi-Wan couldn’t do much more than stare, it was exactly what he expected yet that didn’t diminish the shock in any way. Anakin had never been one to give up on the things he loved easily, which was probably will he still kept trying to fix that trashcan he dared call a car even if it had been broken for years, and Obi-Wan had always been certain that if there was something Anakin loved more than anything in his life, that something was definitely Padme. Which was probably why the relationship had lasted so long, Anakin would have done anything to see Padme happy, and Obi-Wan was well aware of that fact. So, as he stared, there was only one thing he could really say: “Why?”

The younger man’s sobbing grew louder. Why? Why did Anakin have to care so much? Of all people, why did it have to be Padme? Obi-Wan had always known things would end this way, yet he had hoped to be wrong if that meant Anakin would be happy. And he did seem happy…whenever they didn’t argue about every little thing. Something that was also understandable considering the two barely had anything in common and came from completely different worlds. Anakin would have done anything for Padme’s love, which was what upset Obi-Wan the most, because she clearly wouldn’t have done the same.

“She…she said she got a job offer, working for an important Congressman or something, and that it was best for both of us if we ended things…I offered to go to Washington with her, I would have given up anything for her. But…she told me not to be silly, that my whole life is here, and that it would be unfair to me” Again, Obi-Wan had expected this sort of explanation. Whenever the two of them argue, they usually managed to fix things with fair easiness, so for Padme to decide to leave without Anakin being able to convince her of doing otherwise, it had to be about something really important. And nothing seemed more important to Padme than building her political career.

Almost unintentionally, he extended a hand and softly ran his fingers through the younger man’s hair, which grew long and wild. And Obi-Wan couldn’t stop himself from thinking that the last time he had done such a thing, Anakin’s hair was styled short and neat. Certainly too many things had changed in the time they had been apart. “Well, Ani, you know she’s not wrong. Everything you worked for is here, your whole career, I mean…you just got made an associate at the firm. You can’t just let all that go to waste.”  
For the first time since they have entered the apartment, Anakin turned to stare at the man next to him, and Obi-Wan could almost feel the suffering expressed in those watery blue eyes. “I don’t care about my career, Obi-Wan! … I really don’t. I would have given up anything for her! I…I was going to propose. We were going to be so happy…What am I supposed to do now?” Those eyes kept staring at him, desperately seeking an answer.

If Anakin was the one who was in so much pain, why was he the one who felt heartbroken? Was it because he could relate to such pain? Because he once too had been in love with a woman who had chosen her career over their relationship? Or, was it because of something else? Because of his caring for the younger man? Because a part of him felt betrayed and forgotten? Yes, it might have made no sense, after all ever since Anakin had met Padme he had spoken of spending the rest of his life happily with her. Yet it pained Obi-Wan, because the deep complicated feelings he had forced himself to shut down years ago in the darkness corner of himself were slowly starting to resurface.

So, as if unable to do anything else, he held the younger man in a strong embrace “I don’t know, Ani. I really don’t. But I’ll be here with you to help you figure it out. I promise”  
And Obi-Wan could almost feel his heart shrinking as the man he had once considered his dearest friend tightened the embrace. 

___

As morning came, Obi-Wan really wished he could have taken the day off. He didn’t quite know how many hours had he spent embracing Anakin while the younger man quietly sobbed, even when there weren’t any tears left to shed, nor did he care. All that he knew was that at some point Anakin had passed out in his arms, out of sheer exhaustion most likely, and Obi-Wan had been unable to sleep, not daring to move in the fear that Anakin might wake up, softly caressing the man’s hair till the sun was up.

Of course, Anakin was in no condition to go to work, something Obi-Wan had calmly explained to Qui-Gon as he got ready to leave. Luckily, his former teacher and current boss had always been quite understanding, and had known Anakin for long enough to be certain that if the firms youngest associate wasn’t going to show up that day, there had to be a good reason for it. One Obi-Wan was probably going to have to explain later, and he still didn’t know if he should tell the truth or not. After all, Anakin may have always goofed around in the workplace, but he also put a lot of effort into his work, and he rarely ever missed a day. 

When Obi-Wan left, the younger man was still sleeping, looking incredibly peaceful despite all the pain and suffering he was going throw. As he had set the small yellow note on the coffee table, Obi-Wan couldn’t help but wonder when was the last time he had seen Anakin looking so peaceful, and he really wished from the bottom of his heart that at least getting the day off would help his friend clear his mind, even if he had the feeling it wouldn’t be that way at all.

As the hours passed, Obi-Wan wished he had done more than simply write a note to Anakin telling him he had the day off, maybe also mention he was welcome to stay at the apartment for as long as he wanted, or maybe simply remind him to eat something, being completely aware of how Anakin had a tendency to ignore his basic needs when he encountered himself in situations like this. Obi-Wan attempted to focus on his work, yet his stare kept going back to his phone, in fear that he might receive a distressed text message or call, wondering if maybe he should be the one calling to check on the younger one. Of course, he was well aware of how stupid it was to worry so much, after all Anakin was no kid, he was twenty-six and should have been perfectly capable of taking care of his problems alone. But Obi-Wan didn’t want him to be alone, he had promised not to leave Anakin alone.

Normally, on days like that one, he would have stayed at work till late, but this particular day he couldn’t afford to do such thing. Still, as he got to the apartment, there was no surprise in his face when all he found was a sleepy Artoo, laying on the couch as if trying to reclaim his territory. So Obi-Wan didn’t stay for long, retrieving his jacket and leaving once again, completely ignoring the fatigue that came as a result of a sleepless night and a full day of work.

___

There were far more cars than what he anticipated, though it made sense considering there probably were more cars than people in the city, something he never seemed to forget when he complained about the slow traffic on his way to work. Obi-Wan stared at the dark bike parked close-by, no signs of a helmet, Only God knew how he hated that thing. He was about to start his search when a tall tan man emerged from between the vehicles, and Obi-Wan couldn’t help but smile “Rex, looks like business is going well” he greeted politely.

The man seemed stern, and Obi-Wan couldn’t help but wonder how he could be friends with someone like Anakin, yet of course he often wondered the same thing about himself. “Well a job is a job. If you’re looking for Skywalker, he’s at the back” Rex replied before beginning to inspect the underneath of one of the vehicles, always straight to the point, it was something Obi-Wan always quite enjoyed about the man. Given the conversation was over he gave his quick thanks before heading in the direction that was pointed.

He remembered clearly the first time he had seen the old Mustang, it had been years ago, when he was still in law school and worked as Qui-Gon’s assistant for some of his lessons. He had reached out to Anakin as they walked out of class, for the mere reason that the younger man had a considerably low attendance for someone who had gotten the highest score in their first examination. Obi-Wan also remembered Anakin’s words as they reached the parking lot: “Well, Ben, or whatever your name is, I’m hungry. So how about we talk about this over some burgers?” And so, the first time he saw the car was also the first time he rode in it, and his first real conversation with Anakin.

For a long time he hadn’t understood why the young man cared so much about said vehicle, especially after it broke down at the end of Anakin’s second year of college. It wasn’t after his mother’s passing, when Anakin spent most of his time at that place (and irremediably Obi-Wan did too, out of sheer worry) trying to fix the car, that Anakin had finally explained why. Telling Obi-Wan that that car was one of the only things his mom had ever been able to give him, and it had seemed then as if Anakin treasured that fact more than life itself. Yet in all those years the car hadn’t been fixed, and Obi-Wan was certain that will all the money Anakin regularly spent on it he could have easily bought a new one.

So, as he saw the young man quietly starring at the engine compartment of the vehicle, Obi-Wan let out a small sigh, for it had never been a sight that brought back good memories. “Have you been here all day?” he simply asked, fairly aware that it would break the young man’s concentration in whatever he was supposed to be doing. Obi-Wan certainly had no knowledge of mechanics, even if he had heard plenty of Anakin’s fascinated rants about the topic.

Anakin softly nodded as he closed the car’s hood. “I can’t figure out why it won’t work” 

Obi-Wan wasn’t certain if he was speaking about the car or not, either way it didn’t matter “Come on, let’s go eat something and then maybe we can get some drinks. You can stay at my place tonight” he replied calmly. This being one of those rare times when he felt really glad it was a Friday. 

As the younger man turned to stare at him, all Obi-Wan saw in his expression was sorrow, also being completely aware that probably only he could see this, for Anakin rarely showed his worries around other people. “Obi…you know you don’t need to do this. I can go home, I’ll be fine” Anakin replied, but the usual certainty with which he spoke was absent in this words. And Obi-Wan, unimpressed, couldn’t help but to raise an eyebrow in question.

A hand was placed on Anakin’s shoulder as he stared back. “No. You won’t be fine and we both know it. Now grab your jacket and let’s go. The bike stays here” And this time there was command in his words, for if he didn’t take charge in situations like this, Anakin would probably show up at his door sobbing at 3AM once again.

Normally Anakin would have protest, but it was as if all will to fight was drawn out of him. So the young man just let out a small sigh, and did as the older one said.

__

And so days went by, and then weeks, all as if it was one sick routine. Anakin had been crashing at Obi-Wan’s couch ever since he first showed up, only going back to the apartment he shared with Padme accompanied and in order to grab his belongings. This extended for so long that Obi-Wan had to force himself to turn is home office back into what had once been Anakin’s room, something it seemingly would be once again. 

Though this development did not upset the older man. When Anakin had left to live with Padme, Obi-Wan had been quite sad, and he even admitted to missing his old roommate and wanting him to come back, especially after they distanced themselves from each other, but he had never expected it to be this way. Especially since Anakin just wasn’t the same anymore.

At work a lot of people expressed their concern to Obi-Wan, not because the younger man seemed mopey or anything similar, for it wasn’t in him to act that way even in the situation he was in, but simply because Anakin had grown incredibly diligent as weeks passed, quietly listening to orders and no longer goofing around or wasting his time. This was completely out of character, for even if Anakin was great at his job he was passionate about his beliefs and often argued when a decision went against his morals, something that usually got him into a lot of trouble with Mr. Windu. It seemed almost as if Anakin was done fighting for anything: he would work his time and when this was done he would go attempt to fix his car. Staying there for hours and often being Obi-Wan the one who had to go there and insist on taking him back home.

Of course, no one else saw the hard part, the part where Obi-Wan would often wake up in the middle of the night to find Anakin crying his heart out, being unable to do much more than embrace him till the younger man finally passed out. This obviously meant that Obi-Wan was often exhausted because of the constantly having to look out after Anakin and the increasing lack of sleep, often finding himself insisting on doing things he would have completely shut down before when Anakin suggested them, like going out for drinks. But this didn’t matter, for what really did matter was that he could see the young man slowly getting better and going back to his old self.

The change was gradual, something most probably wouldn’t have noticed, not even Obi-Wan himself if he hadn’t been living with the man. It all started when he got home one day after staying at work till late, hearing something he hadn’t heard in weeks: Anakin’s laughter. At first, Obi-Wan thought he was imagining things, for at work he would often imagine Anakin laughing the way he used to with their co-workers, and he often found himself disappointed as he realized that wasn’t the case. But this time he was sure it was no product of his imagination, and as he went to check on this fact, he found Anakin kneeling next to the bathtub, hands covered in foam while a soaking wet Artoo attempted to escape what he probably believed was some kind of dreadful torture. Then he heard it again “Oh come on, Artoo. I know you hate water but it’s not my fault you went out and got covered in mud, is it?” Anakin had said as he struggled to keep the cat in the bathtub and, as if the younger man had sensed his presence, Anakin turned to look at him, his lips curved into a smile “Obi, can you stop starring and help me out here?”

As Anakin got better, Obi-Wan was able to slowly return to his regular routine, which was also how the man noticed things had changed in more than one way. Before, even though they worked together, both men would rarely ever spoke to each other, for their relationship had been damaged since long before Anakin became an intern at the firm, and it seemed the only times this pattern would break was when Anakin argued with Padme, going to Obi-Wan for help. But now, if Anakin talked to anyone at work, that someone was definitely Obi-Wan. In fact he would often hangout by the older man’s office, seemingly finding pleasure in distracting him from work. This also happened at home, they would make dinner together, talking about the most trivial things in between stupid arguments (mostly about Anakin’s behaviour) that ended just as fast as they began. 

Whenever Obi-Wan stayed at work till late (something that happened more often than what he cared to admit), Anakin would stay with him, or show up a couple of hours later with cups of coffee. Of course this was quite counterproductive for the older man, for the distractions certainly didn’t help much, but it did make him happy. He also got upset quite a lot, which was no surprise with the ways Anakin constantly mocked him doing the most stupid things like putting post-it notes with silly names like Obi One Cannoli and Obi-Done Kenobi over the name plate on his desk (which of course made them man deeply regret the day he told Anakin that Ben wasn’t his real name, and he had changed it to it years ago for professionalism). Even if he was the younger man’s superior at work, Anakin would rarely ever called him things like ‘sir’ and ‘Mr. Kenobi’, in fact he wouldn’t even attempt calling him Ben, but that was something Anakin hadn’t done in years, as a result Obi-Wan was stuck with people asking him why one of their associates called him by such a ridiculous nickname. He didn’t mind though, any of it: the mocking, the stupid arguments, the constant distraction that was his presence; it didn’t matter, because at the end of the day Anakin would always wish him goodnight with a small smile, and every problematic thing about the previous hours would be forgotten. Yes, maybe Obi-Wan was a fool, a fool that was too in love to acknowledge that some of those actions would probably jeopardize his future and his wellbeing; acknowledge that Anakin only thought of him as a good friend and may never reciprocate his feelings; but it didn’t matter, because at the end of the day…there always was that smile, and that laughter, and the deep caring he had for the younger man.

___

To Anakin, his life had always seemed like some kind of crazy emotional rollercoaster, there were ups and downs and twists and turns and he never knew when, or for how long, any of this would happen. It had specially been this way since his mother insisted on him going to college, even if they barely had any money and he had no interest in it in the first place, but Shmi would have done anything so that Anakin could have a better life than the one she was able to give him, even if that meant selling the small house they lived in. When Anakin finally gave into his mother’s wishes he was existed about the opportunity of leaving the small town he grew up in, yet he was anxious about leaving his mother and had absolutely no clue what he was even going to do in college. But then he met professor Jinn, and became friends with Obi-Wan, both always giving him advice and guidance. Of course, he also met Padme, and after a lot of insistence she finally agreed on going out with him. And so, for some years, it seemed like the rollercoaster could only go up.

But, no rollercoaster goes up forever, right? He remembered it clearly, Obi-Wan visiting his room to help revise for this one summer class he was taking, him being able to distract Obi enough so they did anything but study, being completely happy until his phone rang with a call about his mother. He remembered not being able to say a word for who knows how long, he also vaguely remembered Obi-Wan’s worry, being held by his friend while he sobbed uncontrollably, Obi-Wan having to call Padme because he was too shaken to do so, the girl he claimed to love and had recently started dating not being there for him because she was on vacation somewhere in Europe with her friends. But Obi-Wan was there, Obi-Wan never left his side, helped him plan the funeral, and suggested Anakin moved in with him right after it happened (A edition obvious made out of clear worry for his wellbeing). 

After that there were no more long ups, everything was short and everything was ephemeral. After the great fall that was his mother’s passing, nothing lasted long anymore. If there were happy moments, they lasted only for so long; then came the anger, the pain and the sadness, the fear, the despair, the self-loathing and the anxiety. Even so, he was thankful for the people in his life; thankful for Padme who loved him and constantly reminded him that Shmi would have wanted him to be happy, even when they had constant arguments; he was also thankful for Obi-Wan always being there for him whenever this arguments happened, to listen and comfort him, even though their relationship had grown fragile over the years. Even having this incredible people in his life, the fact that there were merely two of them was why, when Padme left, he feared this fall would never end.

Soon he found himself to be mistaken. Yes, it was a long fall, but there were still people in his life who cared…there was still Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan who didn’t even seem to hesitate to let him stay when he showed up sobbing at 3AM, Obi-Wan who had listened and cared enough to ask Qui-Gon to give him the day off, Obi-Wan who clearly worried about his wellbeing to the point he asked him to move back into the apartment, Obi-Wan who for years had seem to do everything he could to make Anakin’s life better. Yes maybe they argued, Anakin always complained about the older man’s bland and tasteless cooking, while Obi-Wan always seemed to complain about Anakin’s lack of care about his appearance and how messy he always was, but there was no sorrow or anger in this petty arguments, and they only seemed to bring both men closer together.

Anakin realized this a few months after he moved back into the apartment during a morning with nothing particularly special about it. They were about to head out to work after having breakfast when the older man turned to him, letting out what Anakin considered to be an exasperated sigh. “Why must you always be so sloppy? Anakin, you need to learn how to properly tie a tie, I won’t always be here to do it for you” Obi-Wan said as he reached for the younger one’s neck, undoing the tie knot he had done in a rush and while still half asleep, and Anakin didn’t even bother to stop him. After all, it was a scene that had been repeating itself every morning for a while now. But, as he observed the man skillfully working on the tie as if it was the easiest thing in the world, Anakin couldn’t help but think about how much that dork must have cared for him in order to take the time to do such things for him every single morning instead of just letting him go to work looking ‘sloppy’. And as he thought of it, the younger man couldn’t help but smile, because yes, maybe Obi-Wan wouldn’t always be there to fix his messy hair and clothes, but Anakin wished he were. In fact, he found himself wishing mornings never stopped being exactly like that one.

___

And so, as time passed, Anakin’s feelings started to become quite clear. The mind that had once been filled with nothing but sorrow thoughts about the woman he had once considered the love of his life, now couldn’t seem to distract itself from the man he had always considered to be his best friend. At first, Anakin blamed this on the simple fact that Obi-Wan was always around, after all they lived together and shared the same workplace. Though they had been working at the same place for years and Anakin’s mind had never seemed so focused on Obi-Wan. Was it because their relationship had finally gone back to being what it used to be? The young man surely did not know, what he did know was that his mind was constantly revolving with thoughts of his friend, leading him to always end up trying to get Obi-Wan’s attention. 

A great example of this were the paper planes. Anakin had always had a fascination for paper planes, ever since he was a kid he would always make them whenever he was bored and out of things to do; he enjoyed throwing them at things, wondering if they would reach their target. Of course there were mostly fails at first but practice makes perfect and if there was something Anakin had, that was definitely time for practice. Obviously, his teachers didn’t seem to agree with this pastime of his, especially since his preferred time for ‘target practice’ was in the middle of class; but that certainly hadn’t stopped him in elementary school, nor middle school, high school, college, and it definitely didn’t at work. Since all he really had to do was avoid getting caught by Mace.

Evidentially, the planes had grown quite complex in comparison to the ones he built in his childhood and his co-workers would often gather round betting on how far the planes would go and some would even go to the extent of their own and race against his (Qui-Gon in particular seemed to quite enjoy this). Anakin’s latest favorite target definitely had to be Obi-Wan’s office and Obi-Wan himself, he didn’t quite know why but there was something incredibly delightful about forcing the older man’s attention to go from being focussed on paperwork to him. It had become such a common thing that Obi-Wan didn’t even bother to scold the younger man for it anymore, which of course only fueled Anakin’s need for attention, often resulting in the younger man throwing plane after plane at Obi-Wan, wondering how long it would take to finally make him snap. Usually, it didn’t take that long. 

Though, as much as he did enjoy bothering Obi-Wan and calling for his attention in the most petty and childish ways, what bothered him were the not so childish things. Things like finding himself considering Obi-Wan’s terrible habit of dropping his coat off whenever he got home quite endearing, instead of finding it annoying like he used to. Or finding himself worrying about the older man when he would constantly stay at work way after hours, in times like this Anakin would usually take a cab home (since Obi-Wan always insisted on driving him to work in the mornings, probably because of how much he hated Anakin’s bike and the fact that he never wore a helmet). But after a few hours alone in the apartment watching tv and petting Artoo, Anakin often found himself missing Obi-Wan, which usually lead to him going back to work to keep the man company, bringing him a freshly brewed cup of his favorite coffee.

Such was the case on the afternoon that seemed to change everything.

___

It was cold, Anakin had never been fond of cold weather, probably because growing up in a place that was usually warm…he just never had the need of getting used to it. So, after stopping to get coffee, he rushed to the firm. It was already dark, but the streets were full of people, most probably heading back home after a long day of work, and yet Obi-Wan wasn’t even thinking about going home any time soon. This didn’t annoy Anakin, but he never understood why Obi-Wan felt the constant need of always doing more than what was required of him. 

Anakin placed the cup on the man’s desk and Obi-Wan simply thanked him without even looking up from whatever he was writing, at this, the younger man couldn’t help but smile, right after letting out a small sigh. He really hated himself for doing such thing. Why the hell was he smiling? Who knows, certainly not him. “I’ll be in my office, tell me when you’re ready to leave” was all he said before calmly walking away. Obi-Wan probably didn’t it even hear him, as a result of how focussed he was, but it didn’t matter, it was one of those rare afternoons in which Anakin was simply too caught up in his thoughts to even attempt bothering the man. 

His office was small compared to Obi-Wan’s, after all he was only an associate, yet it was somehow always full of things and never organized (something Obi-Wan obviously never failed to complain about whenever he was there). However, if there was one thing that was organized it was definitely the small collection of paper planes that laid perfectly aligned at one side of his desk, ready to be thrown at the older man whenever he dared enter the small room to complain about something, and if Anakin dared say so himself…it was quite an effective strategy. And so, in a feeble attempt to distract himself from the confusing thoughts that crossed his mind, Anakin did one of the things that had become a built-in habit for him, and made more paper planes. 

Ironically, it was like the harder he tried to distract himself from this thoughts, the louder they were. This obviously meant most of the planes he tried to make during that time were rendered completely useless and tossed in a trash can much too small for all of them. Clearly this was not a new thing, he had started noticing a few months after his breakup, getting over Padme hadn’t been easy but Obi-Wan being there made it much less harder than what it would have been on his own…hell, he would probably still be begging for Padme to come back if he was on his own. That’s why, when he started seeing the older man with a completely different light, he blamed it on the fact that Obi-Wan had always been there for him when no one else was, so of course his lonely recently-rejected-self felt a certain attraction towards him, but little did he know… it was so much more than just that. 

How long had it been since he moved back in with Obi-Wan? Six month? Almost seven. During all that time he had given it quite a lot of thought, actually more than he had to pretty much any topic before. He had tried denying it for a long time, he had tried concealing it, he had been incredibly afraid of accepting it…but it was no use anymore. “Hey, Obi-Wan?” Anakin said, loud enough for the man to hear him from his office a few meters away. After all, they were completely alone in the building.

Anakin patiently stared at his phone, lord knows where he got the patience for it, but he did. Four minutes. Four minutes passed before Obi-Wan said anything back. Anakin’s lips curved in an involuntary smile, this was exactly what he expected from an Obi-Wan who was just too caught up with work. “Hmm? Yes, Anakin?” was the simple reply. 

Okay, this was the hard part, how the hell was he supposed to do this? Anakin really wished he had thought things through before saying anything. Then again…he had had months to think about it already. The younger man cleared his throat. Well…there went nothing, right? “Uhmm…see, the thing is…I kind of realized I have feelings for you and well…I was wondering if, eh, maybe you’d like to go on a date with me?” And as he said it he could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks, being incredibly thankful that Obi-Wan wasn’t in the room that very second. Seriously what had he just done? That was probably the awfullest confession in the history of confessions. Not even attempting to propose to Padme had made him this nervous. But then again…this was completely different. 

He stared at his phone again, but this time all the patience had been drained out by his own anxiety, it seemed like every minute took an eternity to pass and yet he still didn’t get a single word in reply. Great. How was it possible that whenever things in his life were finally going well, he always found a way to screw it all up? Obi-Wan would probably never talk to him again, he would have to move, find a new job, and ugh…Anakin was so scared about losing the last person in his life for who he truly cared that his heart ached with every second that passed.

And so, as Anakin was about to be consumed by his own regrets, the man rushed into the room, hands slapping against the desk so hard that a couple of the planes fell and Anakin almost jumped off his chair in surprised. Stare was fixed on Anakin, who couldn’t quite decipher his expression. Was he confused? Surprised? Upset? It was impossible to know, but he just kept starring. “Say it again” was the only clear reply the younger man got.

Instead of saying anything, he looked away, for he couldn’t bear to return Obi-Wan’s stare knowing that he had pretty much just been brutally rejected. Ah, sometimes the man in front of him really had no tact at all, especially for someone who worked as a lawyer, but then again…it was probably his fault for bringing up his feelings when everything was going perfectly well without saying anything about them. Anakin couldn’t give an answer right away, he simply got up and walked towards the side of the desk, calmly picking up the paper planes and placing them in their corresponding positions. Something he didn’t quite know how he was able to accomplish considering he felt like he was about to crumble. “You know, it’s okay if you don’t return my feelings at all, but there’s no need to make this more painful than what it already is” Anakin finally replied, hurt clear in his voice, as he finished picking up the planes; now involuntary closer to Obi-Wan than what he was before.

“Anakin, are you mocking me?” The question surprised the taller man, especially because as he turned to stare at Obi-Wan he saw the same thing expressed in its tone…pain. Yet, it made no sense, Anakin was the one who had just been brutally rejected, why was Obi-Wan the one acting like that wasn’t the case? 

For a moment, all they did was stare at each other, as if saying all the things that they simply couldn’t put into words. How could Obi-Wan possibly think he was mocking him? Yeah maybe he did joke a lot about lots of things, but this definitely wasn’t one of them and he needed to make that clear…he needed to show the other man that this feelings of his were no joke. So, without even giving himself a single second to doubt or question his actions, Anakin grabbed onto the shorter man’s shirt, pulling him close enough so that their lips could press against each other’s. 

One would have thought the kiss they shared would have been short and simple, but before Anakin could even tell what was happening it had turned into something completely different, because for every move he made…Obi-Wan reciprocated. Mouths opened to welcome each other, tongues intertwined, silence filled the room as Anakin continued to hold tightly onto the other man’s shirt while he felt hands being placed onto his hips. Yes maybe it was sloppy, careless, and far from perfect, but it also was filled with emotions that simply couldn’t have been expressed otherwise. And, as it was over, a smirk brightened the younger man’s expression as he finally let go “Did that feel like I was mocking you?” 

In response, Obi-Wan looked away and took a step back, Anakin’s smirk only growing wider as he saw something he only got to see on joyous rare occasions: a completely flustered Obi-Wan Kenobi. The man cleared his throat, completely aware of the stare placed immovably on him. A sigh. “Does Saturday sound good?” was all he asked before turning to leave the room, not without before raising an eyebrow at the man who leaned back on the desk, arms crossed over his chest as an inevitable smile curved on his lips.

“Saturday sounds great”

___

Truth be told, Obi-Wan had often wondered how in the world had Anakin managed to get Padme’s attention, and even get her to reciprocate his feelings, when there were dozens of other men constantly pinning over her and showering her with affection. Of course, he had witnessed the whole thing: Anakin developing a hopeless crush on the girl, asking Obi-Wan for advice, worrying and believing Padme would never even notice him, planning on ways to get her to do so, etc. But he never understood how Padme could have ever chosen some younger undergraduate over every other man who was after her, which was surprising considering that by then Obi-Wan himself had developed a hopeless crush of his own on this same stupid younger undergraduate. 

Of course, this hopeless crush of his had evolved quite a lot throughout the years and Obi-Wan was quite aware of it. Anakin had become his best friend and his attraction for the man had turned into something completely different and much more complicated. Because, as years passed watching Anakin struggle in his relationship with Padme, Obi-Wan understood that the reason he still cared, the reason he couldn’t simply cut Anakin completely out of his life, the reason he was always there for the younger man even if they hardly ever talked, was that he loved him. And he had loved Anakin for quite a while now, even with how different they were, with the constant bickering, he still would have given up anything to see Anakin happy, and that was exactly what he had done years ago. But things had changed a lot since then, and during all those years Obi-Wan had never expected to find himself in a position in which his feelings for Anakin could be considered reciprocal.

Maybe this was why he questioned the younger man’s motives. Surely, after losing the woman he once claimed to love, it was almost expected of Anakin to turn to someone for temporary affection in an attempt to diminish the pain from the breakup. But, as far as Obi-Wan knew, such thing hadn’t happened, which was what probably what worried him when Anakin confessed his feelings (if that could be called a confession), Obi-Wan had no interest in becoming anyone’s rebound plaything, specially Anakin’s, so he couldn’t consider it anything but mockery. Yet again, that one afternoon he had seen nothing but seriousness in those blue eyes, an expression Anakin rarely showed, for he rarely cared enough about anything to be serious towards it. This was what had made reality finally sync in for Obi-Wan…that, and the kiss. That goddamn kiss that he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about during the rest of the week.

They hadn’t spoke about it, not until the greatly expected day came. In fact things had been pretty normal during what was left of the week, which surprised Obi-Wan considering how anxious and impatient Anakin usually was. Clearly, this only worked to get Obi-Wan even more nervous about the whole thing, if that was even possible. He could easily hide it but the truth was that he was terrified, terrified because he wasn’t used to encountering situations he hadn’t foreseen, and also terrified because this particular unforeseen situation was one he had hoped and wished for in many occasions. But as much as he tried to prepare himself, that Saturday afternoon Obi-Wan saw a side of Anakin Skywalker he had never seen before, and so, he understood exactly why Padme Amidala had fallen for his affections.

It could have been said that Obi-Wan knew Anakin better than anyone, they had been friends for years, they had been roommates, they had been through painful situations and crazy ones together, they had had the oddest drunken confessions, as well as drunken arguments, and they had stood by each other’s side through all of this and much more. Yet, even knowing the other man so well, Obi-Wan certainly didn’t know the side of Anakin that was shown to him that afternoon. First of all, he had arrived on time, which for Anakin was quite the accomplishment considering the only reason he usually wasn’t late for work was because Obi-Wan pretty much dragged him out of bed most mornings. Then it was the way he was dressed, it was still quite sloppy but there was clear effort in it, which was somehow incredibly endearing. He also acted different, his attention completely focussed on Obi-Wan, the later finding himself to be the main topic of conversation during the evening. 

Of course, it was still Anakin, for as hard as he had tried to hide it, he was still arrogant, almost petulant, had zero to none table manners and had no idea how to behave in a formal situation. Still, there was a certain appeal to it, a charming attitude Obi-Wan had only caught glimpses of before, but which then seemed to show its full potential. It wasn’t as if Anakin tried to act like someone else, it was simply a side of Anakin that Obi-Wan had never seen before, since he had never been the main target of the younger man’s affections and desires. But now he was…and knowing this had changed everything.

It would have been a lie to say they weren’t nervous, because they both clearly were…nervous, unsure and completely terrified. But they were all this things together, and as they laughed and mocked each other everything seemed much more natural, as if it were a usual thing. Except of course this time there was much more touching than ever before; mockery lead to bickering, and bickering seemed to have a fast tendency of turning into passionate make out sessions over the following days. To be fair they weren’t all over each other all the time, there was work and times when this simply wasn’t possible, yet Obi-Wan still felt the constant stares which seemed to be permanently accompanied by arrogant smirks, received the text messages which he condemned as annoying but that always made him smile involuntarily, and (when alone) was constantly showered with an amount of affection he had never even expected to receive from anyone. How could anyone not fall for that?

 

So, when one afternoon Anakin had question him about his feelings while making dinner, Obi-Wan had been quite surprised. Only to remember he had never really gotten to correspond to the younger man’s confession. And the shorter man couldn’t help but smile as he, instead of giving a reply, pulled Anakin towards him to engage in a not-so-soft kiss. When this was done, a smile curved on the older man’s lips as he asked if that was reply enough, clearly mocking the other’s attitude during what they later had deemed as the worst confession ever. 

But of course, Anakin had spent enough many years dealing with the other man’s mocking attitude, and he had learned how to give a proper retort. So instead of being upset at the mocking, he simply smirked “Well then, I guess you’re the Obi-Wan for me” he said, unable to stop himself from laughing as he saw the smile erase itself from his boyfriend’s face “What? You thought you were the only one who could make shitty puns? You should know better” And he really should have…if only he had cared. For clearly, he was too happy to be affected by the witty comebacks. 

___

Certainly, it was amazing, every single thing about it: acknowledging how he felt, understanding it, confessing, finding out that his feelings were corresponded, the trust between them, the smiles they gave each other, the stares, the laughing, the mocking, the kissing, the touching, the sex, and the incredible simplicity of things. For everything was exactly the way it used to be between them…except that so much better.

This was exactly what Anakin thought as he laid awake, unintentionally smiling as he felt his partners facial hair softly brush against his arm as the man slept soundly. He definitely needed to start getting used to that or he would burst out laughing every single time. A song played in the background, and this made him smile even more…another thing he definitely needed to do was stop making playlists while drunk. The lyrics rang in his head: _If you’re horny, let’s do it. Ride it, my pony._ Hah. Unexpectedly suitable.

He grabbed the phone, for he had no intention or desire of sleeping and if he remained without doing anything he would be almost forced to wake up Obi-Wan, something the other man certainly wouldn’t be very happy about. Of course, it wasn’t his phone, his laid discarded somewhere on the floor, along with his pants and every item of clothing he had been wearing that day, but guessing the passcode was of no difficulty. Though it wasn’t like that was very helpful anyways, Obi-Wan wasn’t the kind of person who would keep game apps in his phone, the man barely even texted. 

So obviously, Anakin went to the only thing accessible to him in such device that could satisfy his growing boredom: Facebook. Another application Obi-Wan certainly hadn’t accessed in months, but even the people who use Facebook the least somehow always seem to have friends on it, and this was mostly people Anakin had met over the years. And so he scrolled down, peeking into their acquaintances lives without a care in the world. Until he stopped. 

Too many months had passed since the last time he saw a picture of her, for since in the clear knowledge of that Anakin would probably keep messaging her for the first few months, Padme had blocked him on all social media as soon as the relationship had ended, it was for his own wellbeing…or so she said. But clearly, still having Obi-Wan as a Facebook friend was the least of her concerns, because there she was, radiant and beautiful, a smile shinning on her face, one hand was held up waving at the camera, and the other laid softly on a perfectly round belly. 

Padme was pregnant.

**Author's Note:**

> Idk what this is but I apologize for it??? And for the many mistakes and shitty writing??? K i'll shut up.
> 
> A few things to point out:  
> -The quote at the beginning is one of the morals from The Clone Wars series (specifically S02E09 though the episode itself doesn't relate to the story in any way)  
> -In case anyone was wondering, Anakin's Mustang is a black '67 Fastback (with white racer stripes cause lets face it...that kid is all about that kind of things.)  
> -The song at the end is Pony by Ginuwine, and the playlist has several songs similar to it. Because it's just fucking great okay <3
> 
> I don't know if I will work on chapter 2, it's all planned out but its publishing will depend on the feedback this gets. So all comments are appreciated. xoxo


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